Plans to construct thousands of new homes on the site of a former barracks near Cambridge have been revealed.

Developers Urban&Civic and the Ministry of Defence (MOD) are seeking outline planning permission to build up to 6,500 new houses at the former Waterbeach barracks and airfield.

Proposals submitted to South Cambridgeshire District Council also include developing three primary schools, a secondary school, 16,500 square metres of retail space and 4,000 square metres of hotel accomodation.

Read More

Vacated by the Royal Engineers in March 2013, the 293 hectares of brownfield land lies three miles to the north of Cambridge and alongside the existing village of Waterbeach.

With a population of just over 5,000, residents of the village could see this more than treble if the new development becomes fully occupied.

A visualisation of the new landscape at Waterbeach barracks (Image: Urban&Civic)

Urban&Civic, which is also redeveloping the RAF Alconbury site near Huntingdon, envisage employees at Cambridge's Science and Business parks being attracted to homes at Waterbeach.

Chief Executive Nigel Hugill said: "Outside London, Waterbeach is the best brownfield site in the country.

"Three miles from the Cambridge Science Park with some of the most dynamic employment in the world, Waterbeach can help meet a demonstrable shortage of accessible accommodation in the north of the city, both from an expanding workforce and local residents who have lived here for generations.

"We've always been clear that this isn't a new town. It's part of Waterbeach."

Read More

Mr Hugill added: "Courtesy of the Royal Engineers, the barracks and airfield are already marvellously landscaped, with a 23 acre lake and tree lined environment that has been forty years in the making, and is already part of a popular and dynamic village."

An aerial view of what Waterbeach barracks could look like in the future (Image: Urban&Civic)

Urban & Civic want to retain many of the open and landscaped spaces as part of the new development, including a series of parkland spaces along the alignment of the old runway.

There is also a commitment to re-establish the historic Causeway link between Denny Abbey and the village of Waterbeach.

Plans for a 'new town' at Waterbeach were part of South Cambridgeshire District Council's 2014 Local Plan that made provision for 19,000 new homes, including other large developments Cambourne and Bourn Airfield.

Read More

The council's lack of a five year housing land supply has seen it receive numerous speculative planning applications across the region.

According to recent calculations there are around 10,000 unbuilt homes on sites with planning permission.

Residents of South Cambridgeshire also fear that the area's infrastructure is insufficient to support a growing residential population.

A £1.8 billion plan upgrade the A14 is not due to be completed until 2021, while a study on improving the A10 corridor is due to be published this summer.

The huge lake on the Waterbeach barracks site (Image: Urban&Civic)

Mr Hugill said that Urban&Civic had been charged by the MOD, which still owns the land, to deliver returns for the taxpayer but also to ensure the barracks helps met local housing need.

However he admitted that due to the burden of initial investment into the site, in the "first instance" very few of the new builds on the site will be affordable housing, a situation that will be subject to an ongoing review process.

Mr Hugill said: "The process began with the relocation of the Royal Engineers, followed by the Cambridge City Deal and the £1.8 billion A14 improvement programme.

Read More

"The military move released brownfield land that will ‎realise considerable funds to the taxpayer for reinvestment, whilst maintaining momentum that both anticipates and facilitates world beating economic growth.

"The Government spend on infrastructure‎ is designed to support that growth locally and nationally. Meanwhile, the level of rental demand in the north of Cambridge means that new housing can be delivered much faster than normal. Waterbeach demonstrates properly joined-up thinking."

The development will see two new access points onto the A10 and provision will be made for a new Park and Ride facility.

Read More

Urban&Civic says it will commit £15 million in early cycle and bus connections, feed into the A10 transport corridor study and contribute towards the Milton interchange strategic improvements.

The company has held numerous consultation open days and workshops with residents to incorporate local views.

Mr Hugill added:"The Science and Business parks are famous the world over but commuting from the south of Cambridge to these expanding employment hubs is just too tough at peak times.

"More people are having to live in the same amount of space. We have been working hard and listening hard to help come up with the right plans to allow people to live near to where they work and ensure transport options to get people out of their cars and onto cycles and public transport. That is how modern city regions operate."

Read More

Cllr Peter Johnson, who also represents Waterbeach, said: "I do not like it to be called a 'New Town' but rather it is an expansion of Waterbeach which I hope will complement our village and its facilities rather than detract from it.

"Elements I welcome are such as new schools which include a secondary school which will save children having to catch a bus to another village, health centre, sports facilities. There will be employment opportunities while the site is being developed plus light industrial units to encourage new and small businesses.

"I am very concerned about the extra traffic generated and how this problem will be resolved, no-one seems to have a workable answer and our village is already at saturation point with vehicle movements and parking issues.

"I do support this new development as we need houses for our ever growing population but not at the expense of destroying our village identity and as long as the developers work with the village I think we can all be winners."